Associated Press Athlete of the Year

The first Athlete of the Year award in the United States was initiated by the Associated Press (AP) in 1931. At a time when women in sports were not given the same recognition as men, the AP offered a male and a female athlete of the year award to either a professional or amateur athlete. The awards are voted on annually by a panel of AP sports editors from across the United States. A large majority of the winners have been Americans. However, non-Americans are also eligible for the honor, and have won on a few occasions.

List of award winners

Year Male Female
1931 United States Pepper Martin Major League Baseball United States Helene Madison Swimming
1932 United States Gene Sarazen PGA golf United States Babe Didrikson Track and field
1933 United States Carl Hubbell Major League Baseball United States Helen Jacobs Tennis
1934 United States Dizzy Dean Major League Baseball United States Virginia Van Wie Golf
1935 United States Joe Louis Boxing United States Helen Wills Moody Tennis
1936 United States Jesse Owens Track and field United States Helen Stephens Track and field
1937 United States Don Budge Tennis United States Katherine Rawls Swimming
1938 United States Don Budge Tennis United States Patty Berg Golf
1939 United States Nile Kinnick College football United States Alice Marble Tennis
1940 United States Tom Harmon College football United States Alice Marble Tennis
1941 United States Joe DiMaggio Major League Baseball United States Betty Hicks Newell Golf
1942 United States Frank Sinkwich College football United States Gloria Callen Swimming
1943 Sweden Gunder Hägg Track and field United States Patty Berg Golf
1944 United States Byron Nelson PGA golf United States Ann Curtis Swimming
1945 United States Byron Nelson PGA golf United States Babe Didrikson Zaharias Golf
1946 United States Glenn Davis College football United States Babe Didrikson Zaharias Golf
1947 United States Johnny Lujack College football United States Babe Didrikson Zaharias Golf
1948 United States Lou Boudreau Major League Baseball Netherlands Fanny Blankers-Koen Track and field
1949 United States Leon Hart College football United States Marlene Bauer Golf
1950 United States Jim Konstanty Major League Baseball United States Babe Didrikson Zaharias LPGA golf[1]
1951 United States Dick Kazmaier College football United States Maureen Connolly Tennis
1952 United States Bob Mathias Track and field United States Maureen Connolly Tennis
1953 United States Ben Hogan PGA golf United States Maureen Connolly Tennis
1954 United States Willie Mays Major League Baseball United States Babe Didrikson Zaharias LPGA golf
1955 United States Howard "Hopalong" Cassady College football United States Patty Berg LPGA golf
1956 United States Mickey Mantle Major League Baseball United States Pat McCormick Diving
1957 United States Ted Williams Major League Baseball United States Althea Gibson Tennis
1958 Australia Herb Elliott Track and field United States Althea Gibson Tennis
1959 Sweden Ingemar Johansson Boxing Brazil Maria Bueno Tennis
1960 United States Rafer Johnson Track and field United States Wilma Rudolph Track and field
1961 United States Roger Maris Major League Baseball United States Wilma Rudolph Track and field
1962 United States Maury Wills Major League Baseball Australia Dawn Fraser Swimming
1963 United States Sandy Koufax Major League Baseball United States Mickey Wright LPGA golf
1964 United States Don Schollander Swimming United States Mickey Wright LPGA golf
1965 United States Sandy Koufax Major League Baseball United States Kathy Whitworth LPGA golf
1966 United States Frank Robinson Major League Baseball United States Kathy Whitworth LPGA golf
1967 United States Carl Yastrzemski Major League Baseball United States Billie Jean King Tennis
1968 United States Denny McLain Major League Baseball United States Peggy Fleming Figure skating
1969 United States Tom Seaver Major League Baseball United States Debbie Meyer Swimming
1970 United States George Blanda National Football League Taiwan Chi Cheng Track and field
1971 United States Lee Trevino PGA golf Australia Evonne Goolagong Tennis
1972 United States Mark Spitz Swimming Soviet Union Olga Korbut Gymnastics
1973 United States O.J. Simpson National Football League United States Billie Jean King Tennis
1974 United States Muhammad Ali Boxing United States Chris Evert Tennis
1975 United States Fred Lynn Major League Baseball United States Chris Evert Tennis
1976 United States Bruce Jenner Track and field Romania Nadia Comăneci Gymnastics
1977 United States Steve Cauthen Horse racing United States Chris Evert Tennis
1978 United States Ron Guidry Major League Baseball United States Nancy Lopez LPGA golf
1979 United States Willie Stargell Major League Baseball United States Tracy Austin Tennis
1980 United States U.S. Olympic hockey team Ice hockey United States Chris Evert Tennis
1981 United States John McEnroe Tennis United States Tracy Austin Tennis
1982 Canada Wayne Gretzky NHL ice hockey United States Mary Decker Track and field
1983 United States Carl Lewis Track and field United States Martina Navratilova Tennis
1984 United States Carl Lewis Track and field United States Mary Lou Retton Gymnastics
1985 United States Dwight Gooden Major League Baseball United States Nancy Lopez LPGA golf
1986 United States Larry Bird National Basketball Association United States Martina Navratilova Tennis
1987 Canada Ben Johnson Track and field United States Jackie Joyner-Kersee Track and field
1988 United States Orel Hershiser Major League Baseball United States Florence Griffith Joyner Track and field
1989 United States Joe Montana National Football League West Germany Steffi Graf Tennis
1990 United States Joe Montana National Football League United States Beth Daniel LPGA golf
1991 United States Michael Jordan National Basketball Association Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monica Seles[2] Tennis
1992 United States Michael Jordan National Basketball Association Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Monica Seles Tennis
1993 United States Michael Jordan National Basketball Association United States Sheryl Swoopes College basketball
1994 United States George Foreman Boxing United States Bonnie Blair Speed skating
1995 United States Cal Ripken, Jr. Major League Baseball United States Rebecca Lobo College basketball
1996 United States Michael Johnson Track and field United States Amy Van Dyken Swimming
1997 United States Tiger Woods PGA golf Switzerland Martina Hingis Tennis
1998 United States Mark McGwire Major League Baseball South Korea Se Ri Pak LPGA golf
1999 United States Tiger Woods PGA golf United States U.S. women's soccer team Soccer
2000 United States Tiger Woods PGA golf United States Marion Jones Track and field
2001 United States Barry Bonds Major League Baseball United States Jennifer Capriati Tennis
2002 United States Lance Armstrong Cycling United States Serena Williams Tennis
2003 United States Lance Armstrong Cycling Sweden Annika Sörenstam LPGA golf
2004 United States Lance Armstrong Cycling Sweden Annika Sörenstam LPGA golf
2005 United States Lance Armstrong Cycling Sweden Annika Sörenstam LPGA golf
2006 United States Tiger Woods PGA golf Mexico Lorena Ochoa LPGA golf
2007 United States Tom Brady National Football League Mexico Lorena Ochoa LPGA golf
2008 United States Michael Phelps Swimming United States Candace Parker Women's National Basketball Association
2009 United States Jimmie Johnson[3] NASCAR United States Serena Williams Tennis
2010 United States Drew Brees National Football League United States Lindsey Vonn Skiing
2011 United States Aaron Rodgers National Football League United States Abby Wambach Soccer
2012 United States Michael Phelps Swimming United States Gabby Douglas Gymnastics
2013 United States LeBron James National Basketball Association United States Serena Williams Tennis
2014 United States Madison Bumgarner[4] Major League Baseball United States Mo'ne Davis[5] Little League baseball
2015 United States Stephen Curry National Basketball Association United States Serena Williams Tennis

Footnotes

  1. This was the year of the founding of the LPGA.
  2. Became a U.S. citizen in 1994.
  3. "Johnson is AP's top male athlete of '09". Associated Press (ESPN.com). December 21, 2009. Retrieved 2010-08-30.
  4. "Madison Bumgarner gets AP honor". Associated Press (via ESPN.com). December 30, 2014. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  5. http://www.nbcsports.com/davis-wins-ap-female-athlete-year-honors

Notes

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